Air purifier



Jan. 27, 1931. Q g, FARMER 1,790,205

AIR PURIFIER Filed May 9, 1927 INVENTOR CLYDE C. FARMER BY WM; 4/

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 27, 1931 PAT? Omw CLYDE- C.-.FARMER, OF PITTSBURGH, ?llll-ll l$3.fIEFVAItIFl'A, ASSIGNOR TO. THE TESTING- HOUSE AIR BRAKE COMPANY,

' OF PENNSYLVANIA v OF lVllILrlVlITEIBJDIIYI'G, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION AIR PURIFIE R Application filed. Ivlay e, 1927." Serial No. 189,763.

Thisinvention relates to air purifiers and more particularly to a devlce for' purifying alr employed in a fluid pressure brake system.

i'Vith the usual fluid pressure brake system 7 employed on railway trains, the locomotive is equipped-with an air compressor and one or more main reservoirs" into which the compressor compresses air. The air thus compressed, carries in suspension, more or less oil, which comes from the compressor, and

water vapor, which is present in the air taken from the atmosphere by the compressor; It

tern, such as a fluid pressure brake system.

A more specific object of theinvention is to provide an air purlfylng devlcehaving means whereby 011 or water, contained in a fluid stream'flowing through the device, may be removed from the stream by condensation and whereby congealed oil, or frost and ice formed in the device .and clogging the flow of the fluid stream may be removed by'the action of heat automatically applied to the device.

-These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description.

Referring to the drawing, in which like reference characters refer to like parts;--Fig.

, 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of'an air purifying device constructed in accordance with my invention and Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of a portion of the. same.

According to 1 my invention, one'or more sections 1 of coiled pipe are provided, each section having its upper end opening into a header 2 and its lower end opening into a drain reservoir 3. Fluid under pressure is supplied to the header through a pipe 4 and is discharged to other parts of the fluid pressure system through an outlet pipe 5.

In the present-embodiment of the'invention, the sections 1 of coiled pipe are cong I tained in a chamber 6, formed by theheader 2, drain reservoir 3, side walls 7and-end-walls 8 and 9, all of which are suitably connected together. The end wall 8 maybe provided witha-plurality of hinged doors 10, each of whichis loosely connected with an operating bar 11, adapted to be operated by a lever 12,

pivotally mounted on the end wall 8. The

end wall Qhas formed therein an opening 13 through which currents ofair are adapted to pass into or out of the chamber 6. It will be understood that, if desired, the end wall9, instead of having the opening 13,-maybe provided with doors likethose of the end wall 8. I It will also bennderstood that the open,-

ings orxdo'o rs may bei'n'the' side Walls 7 or i any other suitable part of the enclosing struc-' ture. 1 1

f Extending into the chamber 6,,there is a any othersuitab-leheating medium, and the end 16 being open to theatmosphere or to any suitable exhaust means. Interposed between the chamber 6 and the source of-steam sup- )l there is a valve device 17 havin a ro- 1 ya g metre valve 18 which is adapted tov be operated by a lever 19 secured thereto.

' heating coil 14, the "end'15 of g which leads frema suitable sourceof steam supply, or

For controlling the opening and closing of the doors 10, and forcontrolling. the valve 17, a valve device 20 is provided, which comprises a casing having a flexible diaphragm 21 mounted therein; At one side of this diaphragm there is a chamber 22 which isconnected'with the header 2 by apipe 23 and at the opposite sides of the diaphragm there is a chamber24 which is connected with the drain reservoir 3 by a'pi'pe 25. The chamber 24'is adaptedftocommunicate with a chamber 26 through a passage 27 and adapted to be opened to the atmosphere through a port 28. l;

The opening-and closing of the passage 2'? andport 28 is controlled bya double seating valve 29 contained in the chamber 26 and which is provided with a stem 30, adapted to be acted upon bythe diaphragm 21, to opwil , tion.

erate the valve in one direction, and by a spring 31, to operate 1t 1n the opposite dlrecformed in the casing of the piston device 32, 7

- such chamber 34 containing a piston 35. .:Be-

low the piston 35 there is a chamber36, having a port 37, open to theatmosphere, and

containing a spring 38 adapted to engage the piston 35. a rod 39 which extends through the casing of the piston device and at its end is loosely connectedwith the outer end of the lever 12. Intermediate the casing of the piston device and the lever 12, this rod is loosely connected with the outer end of the valve lever 19.

Assuming the several parts of the invention to be in their normal positions, as shown in,

the drawing, ,fluid under pressure, from a compressor or any other suitable supply source, is supplied to the header 2, through the pipe 4 andfrom thence flows through the coils 1 to the drain reservoir 3 and then to other parts of the 'fiuid pressure system, through the outlet pipe 5. Vith the header 2 and the drain reservoir thus charged, and the pressure in both being substantiallythe same, the pressures on the-opposite sides of the diaphragm21 will be balanced, this being due to thechamber 20 being connected with the header 2, and the chamber 24 being connected c with the drain reservoir 3,'so that the spring 31, acting upon the valve stem 30, will hold one end of the double seating valve 29 seated,

to close the passage 27. hen the valve 29 is in this position, the chamber 26 will be open to the atmosphere through the port28, so that the piston chamber 34, of the piston device 32. which is connected with the chamber 26 of the control valve device, will be vented to the atmosphere through pipe 33, chamber 26 and port 28. With the several parts of the apparatus in the positions just described, the doors .10, mounted on the end wall 8, will be in their open positions, asshown in the drawing, and will thus permit currents of air at atmospherictemperature to freely pass into and out of the chamber 6 through the openings in the end wall 8 which are controlled by the doors 10, and the opening 13 in the end wall 9, and will act upon the coils 1 to cool them and thus cause any water or oil, which may be carried in suspension by the fluid under pressure from the fluid supply source, to condense and deposit on the interior surfaces of the coils, and such deposits willdrain into the drain reservoir 3. When desired, the foreign matter, collected in the drainreservoir 3, may be discharged through a suitable drain cook 40. I, 7

As lon s fluid under pressure flows freely through the coils 1, the pressure in the header The piston 35 is provided with the pressure in theheader 2, would be greater ii an that of the drain reservoir 3,- and as the header is connectedlwith.the chamber 22 of the control valve device by the pipe 23, the pressure in this chamber will be substantially the same as that in the header, andas the drain reservoir 3 is connected with the chamber 24 by a pipe 25, the pressures in these chambers will be unbalancedand the fluid under pressure in the chamber 22 will act upon the diaphragm 21 and move it, together with the double seating valve 29, downwardly, compressing the spring 31 and unseating the upper end of the valve 29, thus permitting fluid under drain 7 reservoir pressure, to flow from the chamber 24 through the passage27 to the chamber 26. At substantially the same time as the upper end of the valve 29 is unseated, the lower end of the c through the steam coil 14.- At the same time,

the rod 39 will move the outer end of the lever 12 downwardly and the opposite end thereof, anc the bar 11 upwardly, causing the doors to swing downwardly to their closed positions. When the doors are in their closed position, theheat from the steam coil 14 will raise the temperature in the chamber 6 so thatice, clogging the coils, will be reduced to liqui d form and will drain into the drain reservoir. In the event of the coils being clogged by congealed oil, the heat in the chamber will be great enough to thin the oil, and in this form it will also drain from the coils into the reservoir 3.

Whenthe coil' or coils 1 are again cleared of clogging matter, the pressure in the drain reservoir 3 is increased to that of the header 2, at which time the pressures in the chambers 22 and 24 will be balanced and the 7 spring 31, which hasbeen compressed, will act upon the valve stem 30 to move the double seating valve 29: upwardly until vthe upper portion thereof seats and closes the passage chamber 26. As the upper end of the valve 29 seats, the lower end thereof is unseated, thus permitting fluid under pressure, in the piston chamber 34, of the piston device 32, to be vented to the atmosphere through pipe 33, chamber 26 and port 28. As the fluid under pressure is thus vented, the spring 38, of the piston device 32, will cause the piston 35 and rod 39 to move back again to their normal positions, as shown in the drawing. As the rod 39 is thus moved, it operates the lever 19 to move the valve 18 to its closed position to shut off the steam from the coil 14, and further operates the lever 12 to move the bar 11 to swing the doors 10 to their open positions so thatcurrents of cool air are again permitted to circulate about the coils 1.

I am aware that many changes may be.

made in the details and arrangement of the several parts ofthe device without departing from the invention.

Having now described my inventiomwhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

from a fluid stream, comprising amember through which fluid flows, the inner wall of said member collecting said foreign matter from the fluid stream, and means for automatically Varying the temperature of said member accorring to the condition of the collected matter in said member. 7

2. A device for separating forelgn matter from a fluid stream, comprising-a member through which fluid flows, the inner wall of said member collecting StllCl foreign matter from the fluid stream, and means for automatically varying the temperature of said member according to the condition of the collected matter in said member.

3. A. device for separating foreign matter from a fluid stream, comprising'amember through which fluid flows, theinner wall of said member collecting said foreign matter from the fluid stream, and fluid pressure eperate-d means for varyingthe temperature of said member according to the condition of the collected matter in said member.

4. A device for separating foreign matter from a fluid stream and for removing the separated foreign matter from the path of 1. A device for separating foreign matter varying the temperature of the interiorof saidstructure according to the condition, of the collected foreign matter in said member. GJA device for separatingv foreign matter from a fluid stream and for removing the separated foreign matter from the path of said-stream, comprising a member through.

which fluid flows, the inner Wall of said-member collecting said foreign matter from the fluid stream and being: adapted to conduct said foreign matter from the path of flow of the. fluid stream, a'structure'enclosing said I'member, and normally open to the atmos- 'ph'ere to permit currents of air at atmospherictemperatureto pass therethrough for cooling said-member, means operableto prevent said currents from passing through, said structure, and means for heatingsaid memher when 1 the. first mentioned means .is oper- 7. r The combination with means interposed in a flow "of fluid for separating oil .and Water from the flowing fluid, of means automatically operated uponthe clogging of the separating means'for applying'heat'toxthe separating means to cause the clogging matterv to flow from'said separating means out of the path of flow of thefluid stream.-

- 8. The combination with means interposedilna flow of fluid for separating Oll and water" from t'heflowing fluid, of means operated upon the clogging. of the separating means for. apply ngheat to the separating SO; I

means'to cause the clogging matterto flow from said separating means and out of the path of the flow of the fluid,-and'means autom'atically operated upon theclearing'of said scparating ineans for shutting off said heat and for applying a cooling medium to said separating means.

-' 9. The combination with av coilof pipe throughwhicha stream of fluid flows and in which foreign matter in the. fluid strea'm'col-f lects,of a structure enclosing said pipe, a heatingnnit in said. structure, means for controlling the flow of aircurrents through saidstructure, and means operated by the differential of fluidpressures between'the inlet and outlet of the fluid stream for admitting a heating medium to said heating unit and for preventing "the passage of air currents through said structure.

10. The combination with aplurality' of vertically disposed sections of coiled pipe interposed between the inlet and outlet of a fluid stream collecting oil contained in said fluid stream andfrom which the collected oil tends to drain by gravity, heating means adjacent said coils of pipe for heating said pipe when said pipe is clogged, and means operable when said coils of pipe are clogged with oil, for admitting a heating medium to said heating means.

11. The combination with a coiled pipe connecting-inlet and outlet means for a'fluid stream and adapted to collect. foreign matter contained in said fluid stream, of a structure enclosing said coiled pipe, a heating unit in said structure, doors for controlling openings formed in said structure, a piston device for operating said doors and for controlling the supply of a heating medium to said heating unit, and a valve device connected with said inlet and outlet means and with said piston divice and operatlve for controlling the flow of fluid under pressure to and from said piston device and thereby controlling the operation of said pistondevice.

12. The combination with a coiled pipe connecting inlet and outlet means for a fluid stream and. adapted to collect foreign matter contained in said fluid stream, of a structure enclosing said coiled pipe,a heating unit in said structure, doors for a controllingopenmgs formed in sald structure, a plstonidevlcefor operating sald doors and for controlling the supply of a heating medium to said heating unit, and a valve device'operable by the pressures 1n said nlet and outlet means for controlling the operationofsaid piston device. I r

13. A device for separating foreign matter from a fluid stream, comprisinga member through which fluidflows and, on the inner surface of which said matter is adapted to collect, said member being so disposed that collected-foreign matter therein will tend to drain therefrom by gravity, and means "operative automatically for applying heat to said member to liquefy foreign matter collected in said member, and operative to apply 7 a cooling medium to said member when said member is free from collected foreign matter.

14. The combination With a coil of pipe through which a stream of fluid flows and in which foreign matter in the fluid stream collects, of means operated by :thediiferential of fluid pressures between the inlet and the outlet of the fluid stream for'applying heat to said coil for clearing same of collected foreign matter, said coil being so disposed that the foreign matter collected therein will tend-t0 flow therefrom by gravity.

In testimony whereof IvhaVe hereunto set my hand. s

' CLYDE G. FARMER. 

